Building Teams

February 6, 2017

Building TeamsBy Joshua Weiss

My name is Joshua Weiss and I’m the CEO of TeliApp, an actionable data insights company that specializes in deep machine learning with a focus on human behavior prediction and applied behavior analysis. Our SaaS product, Follow Us (built around our AI platform), enables businesses to grow their customer base by organically increasing their relevant online and social media footprint. Follow Us is a subscription based service, and its ideal user is a small business with a geographic location or a serviceable area.

We also build custom software for Fortune 100’s. Some of our work is currently in use by large brick and mortar retail companies that you probably walk into on a regular basis. We’re located in Linden, NJ, have about 10 employees and a handful of interns at our office, all interviewed and recruited by me. And i’m happy to share what I look for in a potential employee.

A lesson I’ve always looked up to was “Never judge a book by its cover.” In the past, I’ve given many interviews to anyone who emailed me or handed in a resume. About six years ago, I received a very simple resume from an individual who is now one of our best programmers. The only experience that was written on his resume was FedEx driving. Never judging a book by its cover, I scheduled an interview with him, and the interview gave me a much different perspective of him. It allowed me to get to know him on a more personal level, which also gave me a lot more information about him than what was written on his resume.

With the amount of applications and resumes we get daily at the office, it’s almost impossible to schedule and give an interview to every applicant. I do my research on them by browsing through their LinkedIn profile, or looking at their resume more thoroughly. With a more detailed outlook on a candidate, I’m able to narrow down to the best. The most professional and preferred way to contact an applicant is by email or by phone.

What I look for in a candidate exceeds their experience, age, and gender. I look for individuals who can manage the work and genuinely care about the company and the work they’re doing. Loyalty and honesty are also two very important characteristics I look for. Being loyal and honest is just as important as having the best amount of experience for any position.

Joshua Weiss is the founder and CEO of TeliApp, where he heads the strategic vision and initiatives of the company.